Sen. Elizabeth Warren is by far the most popular would-be presidential candidate among progressives in the Democratic party, boasting a nearly two-to-one advantage over presumed frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton, a new poll shows.
The liberal PAC Democracy for America surveyed its members and asked them to rank their top three choices for president in 2016. A total of 164,733 votes were cast in the so-called “pulse poll.”
Ms. Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, came in first by a wide margin, garnering 42 percent support among the organization’s members. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont came in second at 24 percent, with Mrs. Clinton on his heels at 23 percent.
Former Labor Secretary and University of California at Berkeley professor Robert Reich garnered 3 percent, while Vice President Joseph R. Biden pulled in just 2 percent.
“If you only listened to Washington pundits, you’d wonder why Democrats are even bothering holding primaries and caucuses, but the results from our first 2016 presidential pulse poll indicates that progressives want to hear from many candidates during the nomination process and that the fight for the support Democrats’ grassroots base is far from over,” said Democracy for America Executive Director Charles Chamberlain. “The real story for us isn’t the the top-line results or even Democracy for America members clear interest in seeing Sen. Warren enter the 2016 race, but how committed our members are to ensuring the battle for Democratic nomination is a contest, not a coronation.”
Ms. Warren remains a hero among the progressive left and a champion in the fight against income inequality, among other issues. The poll shows that Mr. Sanders also has significant support among liberals.
Still, Mrs. Clinton enjoys a sizable advantage among her potential foes in surveys of all likely Democratic voters.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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